Of Fire and Ice
by Chibi Haku
Summary: (Swearing and supernatural themes.) Have you ever had a dream that you can't remember? Have you ever felt Dejavuu? Edward thought he was just an ordinary kid, at least, not that extraordinary.(AU)(RoyxEd)
1. Of Puppeteers

"You know, I don't really believe the foolishness of the mortal realms. It seems like a Fad in my realm at the moment to think there's one god!"

"You think that's bad, Mieke, my realm is still at that stage where they think there's thousands of them."

The celestial conversation had been going on for an hour now, the two slightly luminescent beings discussing the state of 'realms' 'dreams' and other such otherworldly things as old friends might discuss the weather over a Sunday morning cup of tea. Mieke, The guardian of Aquoyra, the water realm smiled sparklingly at the other, her blue eyes flashing with mirth at a seemingly hidden joke that an outsider would not understand. Her long, sun blonde hair fell about her shoulders, as it made its way quite conveniently down her naked bodice to suggest yet cover anything unappealing. It hung almost down to the hem of her skirt which revealed more than it hid of slender thighs and a streamlined waist, and of wicked and sinful curves. And, talking as if her state of dress was natural she gently chastised her companion. "Na-im!" She gave emphasis to both syllables of the deity's name to emphasise her annoyance at him. "I make every effort to pronounce your name correctly; would you do me the same honour? My name's Mee-ka. Not Mikey."

Her companion, a muscular male who looked of about 14 years with chiselled features, what appeared a tan, and merry, laughing black eyes grinned as he replied, "Of course, my dear girl, of course." He settled back, seemingly uncaring of the dangerous dip to the waistline of his pants and his naked torso. He beamed at her, his hair cut short and styled somehow elegantly yet causally to sweep about his eyes dancing black in the faint orange glow his body gave off. "Well, so far, neither Aquoyra nor Magnatin have gotten the answer correct my dear." He referenced his own realm as he talked, waving dismissively as he mentioned the fire realm's name.

The deity of water laughed, her soft, sea green glow flashing about her merrily. "Yes, yes. So far, Huanyi of Air's Nitronus realm is guessing the closest at 15, but no one's guessed the actual number yet."

Naim chortled. "17. One for each of the five realms and a fair few others besides. Current bet is at 2 centuries for one of the realms to hit it. Care for a wager?"

Mieke rolled her eyes. "I know how many gods there are, you imbecile, I am one. And if we're talking bets..."

The conversation was interrupted as a messenger seemingly burst out of nowhere in a plume of flame, breathing and trembling hard as she clutched a scroll tightly in her grip.

"Sorry, sir, miss, but there's been a terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE accident!" The messenger spoke quickly, almost as if fearful of her very words, glancing around from the other's faces, to the floor and back once more.

"Yes..." Naim prompted, one eye raised in lazy interest, Mieke not really paying attention at all.

"It's a major cock-up I'm telling you! A Soul has been sealed in two different realms!"

The effect this statement had on the two guardians was instant; they both snapped their heads around, staring at the messenger with absolute horror in their eyes. "WHAT?" Fear was slowly creeping into their usual cheery expressions.

"Oh. Someone's going to get fired for this." Mieke slumped to the 'ground' though any definition it might have had was seemingly inexistent. As was the glow that surrounded her.

Naim joined her with a loud and worried exhale. "This is no time for bad humour, Mieke." He turned to the messenger, his own personal one, she happened to be. "Which two realms was it sealed in?"

The messenger looked distinctly uncomfortable. "See," She said, hesitating and trying to buy herself some time. "That's the problem. He's sealed in..." She gulped. "Fire and Water."

Mieke's eyes widened, and Naim let out something of a yelp. They both briefly glanced at each other, faces pale with fear.

Then, they both stood up, looking everywhere but each other and calmly, slowly, whistling nonchalantly, they walked off, only breaking into runs when they were out of each other's lines of sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thank all that is good that your realms are polar you moronic, foolhardy, USELESS imbeciles!" The man pacing in front of the wincing fire and water deities was old, but his strength was still apparent through well toned muscles and strict features showing rugged looks barely withered at all. His chrome, bald head gleamed, and his vibrant magenta eyes shone with ruthless ambition. He was the head of the order and as tough as old boots. "I am just glad that this problem can be sorted you fools! Are you aware how much organising this is going to take to soothe things over? How much trouble this is going to cause throughout the realms? Not only yours but the others too! NO! Of course not! You're too busy not paying attention to what you are meant to be doing, discussing realm politics and making bets of idiotic matters of no real importance! The temporary solution that we have implemented until this situation can be brought back under control is that he will live in the two different realms simultaneously. His conscious will be split between the two realms a shift of state in his 'sleep.' BUT! You two morons will have to watch him in both realms. You are not to interact with any other god besides those I send at all THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE! You will not go further than either realm throughout this time, for it is your foolishness that caused this problem in the first instance. Consider it your penance reckless idiots, DISMISSED! And for my sake, PLEASE put some bloody clothes on!"

The last word was still ringing in the deity's ears as they plunged through the thin barrier between realms and spiralled down into the realm of fire.

Were a small baby with startling golden eyes was being born of a woman named Trisha Elric.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Dude. A few pronunciations first off, and some explanations why certain names were picked._

_Aquoyra- Ack-woy-ra- This should be pretty self explanatory. Realm of water. Aqua, Latin for water. (Or something like that.) _

_Magnatin- Maag-Na-teen- Mag. Magma. Volcanoes. Fire. Self Explanatory, right?_

_Nitronus- Nit-ro-nus- This one will take a little explaining for those not involved in studying chemistry. Oxygen is actually not the most available component of air. That honour belongs to nitrogen; so therefore, the honour of the name of the air realm goes to it._

_Floravia- Floor-ahh-vee-ahh- Not mentioned in the prologue, but for future reference, the realm of ground, flora being Latin for plant._

_Luminat- Loo-Meen-at- Once again, not present, but the realm of light. I know, I'm abusing Latin at the moment, aint I?_

_Yamaninox- Yum-ahn-een-ox- The realm in which the deities are in. Yay for me, this name abuses two languages. As the realm of darkness, it abuses Japanese (yamidark) and again, Latin! (Noxdark... hopefully... I mean, Harry Potter wouldn't lie, would it?)_

_Now the names of the deities. They should seem familiar in their descriptions, and sorta familiar in their attitudes, though that hasn't really been developed, because they're yet to grow up. _

_The head of the order is really a nobody. He's like the fuhrer, barely ever gets mentioned if he's not needed. I haven't even given him a proper name yet._

_Mieke is named after one of my best friends, and yeah, she does have a big problem with people pronouncing her name wrong._

_Huanyi is named after the same friend, this time using her Chinese name instead. (I hope I spelt it right, it's meant to mean happy, cheerful and bright, and Mieke is all of these.)_

_Naim- Is named after another one of my best friends, John, except that's his Palestinian name. He's such a gorgeous bloke, except he's a little unorthodox, so the role his name plays will fit him well. (Except he'd probably take dramatic offence to what I do with said character. -Dies-)_

_Anyways, if there are any more references-slash-explanations that I have to give, I'll give them as the story proceeds._

_Review and feed a hungry authoress? -Puppy dog eyes-_


	2. Of Puppets

_**Aquoyra- Realm of water**_

Everyone in Phoenix senior high school knew to stay away from Edward Cullinane, him being the social skills lacking bastard he was. And, if they didn't know, they found out soon enough when they approached the boy with the startling blue eyes, (far too old for his 17 years,) and long golden hair tied in a loose ponytail that drooped down his back. He never spoke by his own choice his cold eyes warning all away before they had a chance to get close to the boy.

He was a brilliant student, seeming to simply absorb things, and presenting reports of which university lecturers would have been proud. He found hidden clues faster than most found apparent ones, and was the top of all his classes. His teachers did not think he was preforming however.

_Edward is an amazingly brilliant student, but his unwillingness to participate in class causes him to fail in reaching his full potential._

The only subject that the boy failed outright (Even though it was 'impossible' to do so.) was Religion, for it seemed he did not believe in a God.

If one asked him, and he gave a straight answer, he would have confirmed this answer, if he spoke at all.

For, ever since his younger sister's death 7 years previous, in a car crash, the boy had become mute by choice, telling all within his stoic glare the true nature of his supposedly dark heart.

Many females admired the boy from afar, his slightly feminine looks always putting him well within their favour, but far from their reach. His dark, mysterious air enforced an image of an enigma, something to be tamed by the right heart, though they always stopped watching him from afar when he thought no one was around, and held his right arm and left leg a bit more heavily as if the mass of his prosthetic limbs (Gained in the car crash that killed his sister) alone could destroy his calm and aloof air. Such people who saw him, learnt to respect him, and pity him in the same moment, and none spoke of what they saw.

A side effect of the regained mobility that the arm and leg gave him was a steady slow to his growth as they weighed him down. As a result, the mute-by-choice teenager was about the size of a 12 year old, instead of the 17 years he was. He used this fact to his advantage most of the time, to slip by unnoticed in a world for the strong, tall and cold.

* * *

"Edward? What's the answer to number five please?" A dark glare was all the answer the teacher received, the advanced algebra class shaking their heads silently as the newest administrator made the mistake of trying to involve the desolate teen in class. The glare was the answer the woman received, as the boy turned back to his work, question 20, four whole exercises beyond any of the work covered in class.

The teacher sighed, her efforts wasted. She looked at the right handed boy sadly, watched as he held the pen clumsily in the metallic limb, and then, called upon another to answer the question in his stead.

* * *

He's a fantastic artist, that boy who never speaks. Mostly circular his drawings are. Round patterns and such. Studies of geometric circles and which shapes could make them stronger. Fantastic and unusual shapes, but when built they wouldn't break, oh no. Not unless there was clumsiness (Of course clumsiness doesn't happen when that boy is involved.) And not only one circle is put down on the paper, sometimes two, three, four, up to nine or ten he draws each perfectly round, and compounded together to be the strongest they can, sometimes without even touching anything else.

He also draws pictures of his arm, and even as it horrifies him, it fascinates him, and he draws different limbs, all the same as his metal one, except different, guns, blades, wickedly sharp edged steel that comes from the joint of the shoulder to a good foot after the arm had ended, and detailed with the same protector that his was. And all had the same date carved into them somewhere, the date carved onto his 'wrist,' that very few see because he keeps it covered so well with those pretty white gloves of his, and that black long sleeved shirt. It's just a date you know, just a number. Fourth of October, but for some reason he fears it. Keeps it hidden, like. Doesn't want to remember the day his sister was killed, but wears it like a scar. He's very confusing that boy.

His parents don't care. They never worry about him at all. They leave him all alone, and he keeps himself alive well enough, but I think he's fading. He comes home, ignores them, and they do the same to him, even if it's from a week on the streets and he's got a bloody and broken nose, like what happened last week. He's brave you know, he just re set it and moved on. His parents never seem to care. Never seem to want him around. They can't never get him to speak either, unless he's furious with them screaming he's leaving at the top of his lungs and that he's never coming back.

But he always comes back in the end. Always comes back.

* * *

He would never kill himself. He had decided that in the week directly preceding his sister's death. He'd get revenge, yes, of course. But he would not kill himself for the simple fact that his baby sister Alison would have wanted him to live forever if he could, and nothing would stop him from trying, nothing at all.

He definitely wasn't normal, no, his life was riddled with far too many inconsistencies for that, the only thing constant and never changing was his stoic and dedicated silence as he walked down a back alley a blue cloak around his shoulders hastily shoving bread into his mouth, obtained from the old, shabby backpack and leant against the back of the alley wall. He watched the dustbins for awhile, but eventually he fell asleep under the sky blue cloak, warm and silky, just like his sisters hair once was.

* * *

**_Magnatin- Realm of Fire_**

Edward Elric was on the run.

He liked to fool himself into believing he wasn't, being able to live in the cities and join the military and all, but in reality, you can't preform Human transmutation three times, live, and think to get away with it. Not even if your name _was_ Edward Elric, the famous Fullmetal alchemist. It's what he thought about first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The simple fact that he could not escape the existence that he had created for himself.

"BOOM!"

Okay, so maybe tonight it wasn't going to be the last thing he thought about.

The room rocked suddenly, in the wake of what seemed an earthquake, though a glance outside the window revealed it to only affect the military barracks. Edward sprung from his bed in horror, moments before the ceiling fan fell with an almighty crash that rocked the room, nearly as loud as the previous noise had. Golden eyes flashed with barely concealed panic, out of the mirror that he glanced into briefly, and he could have spat at his reflection, even as he was thrown to the ground as another rolling boom rocked the building.

"Knock Knock!" A voice cried through the strangely still air, in the moment before the screams of terror began. Edward flicked his long hair out over his shoulder, grimacing as he realised he didn't have time to tie it up, and hastily pulled on his black tank-style top to cover his midriff. He ran out of the room, his metal foot making dull clangs against the cement floor of the hallway, as he yanked open the door to the stairwell and began the long race down it.

"Hagane No Ochibisan!" (A/n: See the bottom if you have complaints.) An awfully familiar voice rang out through the night air as Edward took the stairs three at a time. "Hagane No Ochibisan! Come out to play!" The voice's sing song, slightly feminine quality had Edward cringing as he ran faster, and hoping, hoping desperately that the conclusion his mind was forming was wrong, and that one of his colleagues was pulling some sort of late-night prank on him instead. The building shook and he swore loudly, jumping the last four steps.

Scrambling against the flow of terrified people heading towards the back door of the barracks, Edward finally managed to push open the front door, trepidations turning to real fear as he saw a short, fat man with black, beady eyes run directly at the wall once more, with another rolling 'BOOM!'

He was accompanied by two other beings. One was a woman, with pale skin, red, luxurious eyes and long black hair, the epitome of feminine beauty and the other had green, spiky hair which fell to his waist and was supported over his black eyes and lanky features by a black headband with an embroidered triangle upon it. His long arms and legs enhanced his feminine features, especially as he wore a skirt-hotpants combination and a midriff revealing, sleeveless top that was entirely too tight.

Edward bared his teeth in a low growl at the three. "You're meant to be dead." He spat, anger pulsing through his veins as he looked upon the created humans, disbelief on his features.

The man in hotpants smiled. "Meant to be, Hagane No Ochibishan. Meant to be. They're the keywords here. He smiled as he addressed the golden haired boy, as if they were close friends, and seemingly unfazed by the less than welcome reception he was receiving.

Edward saw red. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT THEY CAN FIT INTO A MOUSE HOLE WITH EASE?"

The man blinked. "That's a new one." Edward lunged, throwing his metal hand forward to clamp it about some part of the other, preferably the throat, though the groin didn't seem that bad an option either. (A/n: I'm so sorry for that last line. Delete it from your memories. It never happened. It was not there.) However, the attack was easily avoided by the other, with a simple step to the right.

"Still as predictable as ever, Chibi Ichi." He smiled, though there was no warmth in it, and no soul in his eyes.

"I'll send you to HELL Envy!" The blonde yelled, clapping his hands in fury. Blue sparks flew from the connection made, and raced up the young adult's metal limb, morphing the metal from elbow to about a foot in front of it and turning it into a dangerous blade.

"You tried that once little boy, and it didn't work, remember?" The female asked, re-alerting the blonde to her presence, who in his fury, had forgotten she was there.

"Lust? Can I eat him? Please?" The short, squat man asked in a sickly childish voice. He stepped forward, sick hunger aligning his features, as Edward got a good look at the red patterns that ran down his arms. There were more than he remembered there being. Something about the man screamed 'inhuman', and not only his strange request.

The woman petted him on the head, like one would a puppy, glancing at him briefly before she returned her attention to the short, blonde man. "Always so impatient Gluttony. Let Envy have his fun."

The squat man grinned, a hungry smile lining his face as he fixed his bulging piggy eyes on Edward with delight. "Okay Lust! I'll wait! I'm a good boy!" If Edward hadn't been so scared and angry, he would have sworn that the man would have wagged his tail, had he one.

Envy snickered. "How's your brother doing these days, Edward?"

Edward growled low in his throat. "FUCK YOU!" He screamed as he lunged at Envy, vision clouded with the red of rage.

Laughing as he dodged the by's attacks, Envy shot back, "I take it sacrificing us lovely Homunculus didn't work to create the stone?"

Edward repeated his earlier profanity, making an inaccurate, angered slash at his opponent. Envy laughed once more, dodging the blade and slamming Edward into the ground, sitting atop him triumphantly. (A/n: That line doesn't exist either.)

"We are Homunculus, Ochibisan," Green sparks surrounded him as his form melded into one with sun-blonde hair, a narrow, handsome face, and a metal arm and leg. Gold eyes gleamed with malice, as Envy placed his copied blade against the back of Edward's head. The sight would have seemed strange to an outsider, two seemingly identical boys fighting for their lives. "We cannot die, and I cannot forgive you for being his son!" The last whisper turned into a vengeful growl as the blade was raised high and flew downwards...

An explosion rocked the dirty city night.

* * *

_A/n: Okay, some of the lines that snuck into this part of the story really shame me. I apologise for them now._

_Explanations: _

_Hagane No Ochibisan: Envy calls Ed this in the raw versions. It translates to 'Fullmetal shorty' or thereabouts. I used it, instead of the translation for the simple fact that it can be said in an annoying, sing-song voice, _soooo_ much easilier._

_Just like Aniki can be whined so much easier than Brother, as my big Bro knows._

_ Anyways, the sudden change in point of view in the Water realm is meant to be there. They will be scattered throughout the text, and they are very important as will be revealled later.  
_

_Rawr! Cliffhangers!_

_-points at review button- Feed a hungry Authoress?_


	3. Of courage and Of strength

_A/n: This update contains two chapters, because they are both too short to stand alone. _

_It also contains what happened to Al, and is solely Edward Elric focused. Edward Cullinane will come back in a little while, as his side to this story is equally as important as that of out little Pint-sized Alchemist._

_And in response to a review by _Saya Aensland, _I love you. Be my significant other. Or at least my beta. Please. Honestly people, if you see something wrong with one of my fics, speak up. I need to be knocked in the head a few times every month or so, so that I don't revert back to fangirl Japanese. Thanks for picking that up. _

_And in response, I argue that if Envy uses Hagane no Ochibisan, instead of Fullmetal in this fic, he must be suffering a case of Fangirl-japanese-itis, and thus, would use Chibi Ichi instead of short one, or little one. Weak argument, maybe, but it does have some merit._

------

**Of Courage**

-----

The flames raced about the dingy little street, engulfing Lust and Gluttony, and in a show of strange control, licking up Envy's side and trying to claim him, whilst leaving the Elric under him hot, but relatively unhurt.

Envy screamed in pain, his body reverting back to its green-haired, lanky form, and Edward managed to throw him off, leaping from under him in the process. Preparing to attack, Edward turned, only to find the sin burning, and rolling on the ground, screams of agony surging forth from his mouth.

"Can't you control one little fight by yourself, Fullmetal?" A smug male voice spoke from behind him. It was deep and sure, and strong. Edward turned, to come face to face with the reason why the flames could be so easily manipulated. The man who had his glove outstretched was short, though taller than Edward by about a head and a half, with neat black hair, and black eyes sparkling in mirth. Though he was pale, he had a dark radiance about him that commanded respect. Respect that Edward absolutely refused to give.

"Mustang." He greeted coldly, his eyes narrowing dangerously with disgust. The man that was controlling the concentrations of oxygen in the air, and in turn, the flames that burned, smirked, the action seeming almost natural for his narrow features. The blonde scowled. "What are you doing here?" He bit out the words as almost a reprimand.

Mustang gave a Cheshire grin, lowering his arm. "Why Fullmetal! You looked like you could use some help."

Edward managed not to cuss. It was a very close call, however.

-----

He's not of this world, is that man with his hair and eyes that burn with such an old soul. How could he be? After all, he knows what happens in the pretty world of fire but he's never around to see it. Oh no. Always somewhere else, but he knows. Knows everything, doesn't he? He's got something about him, even more than the half-soul boy, that screams he doesn't belong here, in the first place. And he protects the half-soul boy like anything he does, though that boy so strong that boy, doesn't need protection, doesn't want protection, nonono. Still thinks he can bring back his brother he does. Tried, he has. But nonono, his brother's gone. Gone, gone, gone. And not coming back, oh no. Best that boy realise it quick.

Else there'll be trouble. That there will.

-----

Edward took a sip from the ceramic coffee mug in front of him, relishing in the bitter taste of the straight black coffee as he swirled it about in his mouth, and swallowed. He slowly placed the mug down upon the wooden table in front of him, careful to keep his eyes locked upon the man standing behind a wooden desk and looking out the large window that flanked it like a backdrop. He leaned back in the black, leather chair, crossing his legs, and folding his arms, not caring of what his boots could do to the upholstery.

"Please put your legs down, Fullmetal." He scowled, and didn't move. "Do I have to make that an order?" Edward complied, reluctantly.

Roy Mustang turned towards him, with a long-suffering sigh. "When are you going to give up on your foolhardy mission, Edward?" Edward scowled, and said nothing. Briefly, Roy's lips curled, before he managed to school them back into an expressionless line. "He's dead, Edward. You can't bring him back."

The long haired boy flinched. "Yes I can, and goddammit, Mustang, I will."

"You'll repeat what happened to your mother if you try. Didn't you prove that last time?" Edward flinched again, a flare of cold-blooded fury racing through him, though, he determinedly didn't show it.

"I know what to do now. I've done it before successfully."

"With a stone." Point.

"Which I can make again." Counterpoint.

"Bullshit, and you know it." Blatant statement. Edward scowled, noticing that he and Mustang were having a debate, a strange thing to notice, considering the subject matter. He scowled, and turned to face the door, refusing to look into those knowing eyes.

"Using the Homunculus was a mistake, I know that." He muttered.

Mustang sighed once more. "So what would that have you do?" Edward turned back, to catch the man running a hand through his black mop of hair. "Use innocent people instead?"

"No!" The disgust and horror in Edward's voice echoed through the room. "I won't even think about it! I couldn't! I wouldn't." His voice cracked momentarily, as a weight seemed to lodge itself in his throat. "It was all working so well, Colonel, why did it have to happen, why?"

Roy sighed, once again running his hand through his hair. "Do you want to talk about it, Edward?" There was something.... parental about his tone, and Edward gave a start. However, no evidence of the emotion was on the man's face.

"No." It was a straight answer, almost instinctual, but after a pause, Edward realised that a part of him _did_ want to talk about it. "But... it might make me feel a little bit better, I guess..."

He's strong that boy, but even the strong need to talk to someone every once in awhile. Strange choice but.

-------

-------

**Of Strength**

-------

"I don't know where to start." Edward stated softly, looking at his hands, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

"At the beginning, is always a good place." Roy replied. Edward scowled.

"Smart ass." He shot back, and then, quickly, almost to prevent reply, "You know that the philosopher's stone could only be made with human Sacrifice, don't you?" Roy nodded.

"Of course, Fullmetal, I am not an idiot."

"News to me." Edward spat. "I have never wanted to create it through the sacrifice of humans, but as I researched, it became more, and more obvious that this would have to be the case."

"So you made the stone in the end." Roy's nose crinkled with disgust.

Edward nodded. "I did. By accident. The homunculus had been watching my progress for some time, and sick of my reluctance to make the stone through sacrifice, they burst into one of my experiments. That was during the time I was trying to make it out of nothing but pure, raw energy. Which technically, should have been possible, considering the energy, matter conversion theory." Edward sounded like he was deliberately trying to sidetrack the conversation.

"Which technically, is beside the point." Roy countered, destroying the red herring. "I do remember those experiments though. You could have killed yourself many a time." He sounded almost concerned.

"Who's telling the story here, Mustang?" Edward growled.

"Continue, by all means." Mustang smirked, and Edward resisted the urge to hurt him.

"The homunculus literally broke the door down, and the distraction they caused made the alchemical reaction to spiral out of control. They were dragged in, and I nearly was too, and I would have died, if it didn't seem to have enough energy to complete the transmutation. The reaction died instantly, and I remember it being eerily calm." Edward sighed, and fidgeted under Roy's hard, 'facts only, or else.' Glare. "But sitting there, in the middle of the room was the stone. It wasn't complete, and I didn't think it was the stone at first, but a little voice inside my head was going 'what else COULD it be?' It was a deep red, with a slight gold tinge, and it was pulsating slightly, like a heart, beating, beating..." His eyes glazed over at the memory, and he seemed to mentally shake himself. Roy merely nodded, and offered no reply.

"Once I got over my shock, I dunno, I guess I thought it was the real stone, so I took it, and Al! When he saw it, he was so excited. 'You've done it brother! You're so amazing!' you know how he was. I never told him how the stone was made though; He never would have let me use it if he knew." Edward snorted derisively. "Maybe that would have been a good thing."

Mustang shook his head. "You made him happy, Fullmetal. You cannot ask for more than that."

------

Now the other world one is trying to cheer the half-soul boy up, I guess. He's not doing that good a job at it though, but then, he doesn't normally cheer people up, does he? He's always this way, that way, every other way, never keeps people happy if they're in _his_ way.

Taken a shine to that boy, he has. Maybe more than a shine. Loves him, maybe, not father-son love either. More than that. Boy's far too young but loves him anyway. That boy though, that boy don't love him back. That boy hate him back. No trust, none. But that man think he know everything, see? Gonna go from me to my sister and trick that boy there into loving him. I see his thought. He may rule me, but I know him. I own him. I know how his mind works; I know his deep and dark desires.

He's come into contact with fire. Fire always leaves a burn.

------

There was a brief break in Edward's words, and, for a moment, all the pain and sadness within him flashed across his face. It was quickly reigned in, however, as he continued, "All I remember from the Transmutation was a lot of bright light, and I guess I must have passed out, because, when I woke up, Al was there, standing over me, and looking worried, but the best part was, it was a human Al! I had my brother back fully, at last! I was so excited about it all..." He let out a sound that reminded Roy of a choked sob. Roy moved from his position behind his desk to place a hand upon the boy's shoulder. Edward instantly jerked away as if stung.

"Get off me." He growled out warningly. Roy sighed, and moved back to the desk, pulling out the chair to sit. Edward continued talking after a few shaky breaths and a dark glare at Roy. "It's funny, you know."

"What is?" Roy asked, surprised by the sudden change of track.

"I really can't explain it that well, but I've always felt like I was incomplete. That there was a part of me that was missing. I was only half a person. But when Al was around, that pain seemed to lessen, I felt a little more whole I guess. And then, of course, there was the accident." Edward turned his head away.

Roy nodded. He had already known all of this by the way the boy acted, but hearing it out of Fullmetal's mouth was different, and somehow made it seem more important.

"I should have been expecting it, the rebound. It came three months after I'd finally managed to accomplish my goal. It was so sudden, one minute he was fine, out with Winry and me walking Den, the next he was on the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. Winry and I couldn't do anything to help him, and as we watched, these huge, hideous lumps started appearing all over him. And then, the lumps cracked and broke, and blood spilled everywhere. Winry was crying, and I think I screamed. Den bolted in panic. And Al looked at me, with those damn, sad, sympathetic eyes he had and he whispers, 'Don't blame yourself, brother, I was happy. Thank you." He thanked me! Why? Why couldn't he have been angry with me?"

It was a rhetorical question, heated with pain and sadness, but Roy chose to answer it. "Because he was Al." Edward couldn't meet the man's eyes.

"I'm going to bring him back, sir. I have to bring him back."

"You are a fool, Fullmetal." It was a dismissal, Edward knew, so he placed his now-empty coffee mug down, gave a small salute to his superior, and walked out, passing a blonde, strict looking woman on her way in.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant Hawkeye." He whispered. She gave him a small, encouraging smile in return.

-------

-------

_A/n: And that's the note I want to leave it on. -shakes a little tin marked Reviews- Feed a hungry Authoress?_


End file.
